Weft feeler mechanism for looms



June 6,` 1939. z. soCHOR wEFT FEELER MECHANISM FOR Looms Filed Jan. 29,1957 IN VEN T0 R. Zdezeif Soc/1207;

ATTOFFNK Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,161,727 WEFT FEEDERlVIEGHANISM FOR LOOMS Zdenk Sochor, Dvur Kralove n. L., CzechoslovakiaApplication January 29, 1937, Serial No. 123,079 In CzechoslovakiaJanuary 29, 1936 3 Claims.

This invention relates to weft feeler mechanism for looms, and itconsists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations hereindescribed and claimed.

Preferably shuttle or bobbin changing for weft replenishing in looms,requires a feeler mechanism for bringing the shuttle or bobbin changingmotion into action when the weft in the shuttle is exhausted. Suchfeeler mechanism should be of a character not likely to damage the weftby mechanical, electrical or other action and should be of simpleconstruction, reliable, and require only a minimum of attention.

Many of the feeler mechanisms in use are of such construction that thefeeler device is constantly in motion and the feeler actually collideswith or encounters the weft in thev shuttle at every beat-up of thesley. When the weft is nearly exhausted, then the feeler device remainsstationary during the beat-up and this condition brings about theautomatic shuttle or bobbin change.

Thus a more or less complicated movement of mechanical parts involvingsome weight occurs,

about 700 times and initiated by mechanical encounter with the easilydamaged weft, theV change as stated being commonly brought about bynon-movement of feeler mechanism.

A considerable number of feeler mechanisms act in such a Way that theweft is felt by the actual feeler entering into the shuttle box at aheight coinciding with the longitudinal centre of the shuttle in theshuttle box. vSuch a construction of feeler mechanism is not well suitedfor certain automatic looms of the drop-box type where the weft requiresto be felt in the shuttle box at the plain end of the loom.

The movement of the feeler mechanism during ordinary running of the loomis so slight as to be hardly noticeable, and such movement is restrictedby a lever or the actual feeler mounted on the mechanism proper. Onlyonce in approximately 700 beat-ups of the loom does the whole feelermechanism move, that is, when an automatic change of shuttle or bobbinis required. Accordingly, damage to delicate weft is prevented and wearand tear on the feeler mechanism is minimized.

A feeler mechanism according to the invention can'be safely used incases where a length of weft is present between the shuttle and the Wallof the shuttle box, because the actual feeler does not operate at alevel coinciding with the longitudinal center of the shuttle in theshuttle box, but above or below that level and preferably above.

The whole feeler contrivance is mechanically very simple and noauxiliary source of energy such as electricity is necessary. Also, themovement of the actual feeler during weaving only amounts to the swingof the end of said feeler through an arc 5 of a fraction of an inch andso possibility of damage to the weft is reduced.

The feeler is set or regulated to act at the moment when the weft on thebobbin is sufliciently exhausted and according to requirements 10 of theparticular type of loom.

The feeler contrivance consists of a small smoothly shaped pivoted leverand its sliding support, springs, etc. and is mechanically very simple,which is an advantage for the Working conditions r15 of a weaving shed.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view o'f the weft feeler mechanism partlyin section with the sley in forward position. Y 20 Figure 2 shows a planView of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a back view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1', but with the actual weft feelerdown following exhaustion 25 of weft.

The cop bobbin 2 with its wound-on weft engages the skewer of theshuttle in such a way that a cut-out cavity I in the base or butt of thesaid bobbin presents a horizontal face and an upright 30 abutment asshown in Figures l and 2. The position of the horizontal face is assuredby reason of a pin 34 on the skewer of the shuttle engaging a horizontalbore or cavity 3 in the base or butt of the bobbin. The front wall ofthe shuttle 33 is 35 provided with an entrance slot 32 opposite thecut-out cavity I at the base of the cop bobbin.

The feeler contrivance is mounted to the fixed framing of the loom infront of the breast beam by means of a support I8. An adjustable bracket40 I5 is xed to the support I8 by screws I1. The supporting structure I3for the feeler contrivance is adjustably fixed to the bracket I5 byscrew I4 and can be adjusted horizontally nearer or further relativelyto the front end portion of the sley. A 45 slide Ill is movable in asquare guide sleeve I2, and this slide I0 is pressed towards the frontwall of the sleeve I2 by means of a spiral spring II or equivalentmeans. The forward movement ofl slide I0 is limited by a split pin I6.I'he sleeve I2 50 has a slot in the base for a cam 9 which projectsdownwardly from the slide structure I0. A crank rod 6 which is attachedto the slide structure I0 is provided with a shaft upon which the actualfeeler 5 is pivoted. This feeler 5 by reason of its 55 weight or underthe influence of a spring V"l, tends Vto assume a horizontal' positionas indicated in Figure4. A rearward extension of the feeler restsagainst a stop 8.

A lever 24 is provided adjustably supported in a. drum 22, which isaccomplished by passing the lower free end of the lever through anaperture formed in the drum, the lever being secured in Vthe aperture bya. set screw 23. Y'I'he aperture receiving the lever V24 is off center,and a lever 25 is Vsimilarly secured upon the drum 22. The drum f 22 isoscillatably mounted upon an axle 20 carried;

Y by a depending arm I9 of the bracket I5aspring .Y quired duringWeaving.

2| secured upon the axle 20 andhaving an end inY engagement with thelever 25 tends to hold'the cam 9 in engagement 'with the lever 24 Yasre-The lever 25 extends in a direction opposite the lever 24 and terminatesin an'angularly disj-V posed stud upon which there is revolubly mounteda roller 26adapted jto engageV and'press a lever 2,1 into engagementwith'a pin 29 carried jby a weft fork Vhammer 30. 'The lever 27 has atooth 28 adapted tobe engaged by the pin 29 Vimparting a movement to theshaft 2l corresponding to the movement of the hammer. This Ymovementstarts the automatic shuttle or bobbin change. Y f The mechanism acts inthe following way:

When the sley isV drawn up or in its forward position,feeler lever 5projects into the shuttle Y above nthe line of the horizontal axis ofthe bobf 'las ' out cavity I. @As a consequence, when the sley bin andis Vslightly forward or over the longitudinal center'of the shuttle whenthe sley is fully Vup to the breast beam (see Fig. 1), this beingpossible because the front wall of the shuttle box Ais provided with aslot for the purpose, as is the front Wall of the shuttle.V T hedisposition oi'feeler lever 5 is so adjusted that it doesV not passwholly above the bobbinbut its forward end encounters the wrapped-unweitand so the feeler lever 5 is gently deflected into an inclined ypositionand rests or is supported on the weft, bridging the cut-out cavity I atthe base or buttoi the bobbin when the sley is in its extreme Yforwardrposition Y(seeV Fig. 1),. When the Vsley moves back, the YVfeeler 5returns to its normal horizontal position.

f When thevweft on the bobbin is exhausted, there isY nothing to directand keep feeler Y5 deilected and so it encounters the vertical wall ofthe cutnext moves forward, the slideV I0, in connection Y with which thefeeler 5, is pushed back Vagainst the action of spring II. 'I'he resultis, thecame 9 on the slide I0 is pushed backV nearer to the fixedframing, Yreleasing the arm 24 Yby theY protruding cam 9 of the slide I0and changes from the position seen in Figure 1 to the position seen inFig ure Alpunder action of the spring 2l. f Asr a ,result of this, thesecond lever arm '25 with anti-friction roller 26 moves to its lowerposition shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, thus effectingY connection of i'l With the cam.

lever 21 with the weft fork hammer 3U thereby bringing about the desiredautomatic shuttle or bobbin change. At the proper time, lever 25 islifted by the aid of a projection on lever 21 whereupon the slide I0with protruding horn 9 returns 5 into the original position as shown inFigure 1, and lever arm 24 is reset. i

I claim: Y Y

l. A mechanical weft .feeler mechanism for looms comprising a sley, acop bobbin'having a 10 cavity in the form of a tangential notch, thelonger side of which is in a substantially horizontal plane, theloom-having a breast beam, a

-slide member supported by the breast beam, a

spring-urged feeler element carried by the slide, 15

movable into the tangential notch upon exhaustion Vof the weft, wherebysaid slide will partake offorward movementsl of the sleythereby'actuating `mechanism for effecting change of the Vcop bobbin. 5Y I 2. Mechanical weit feeler mechanism for looms 'comprising a sley, ashuttle, a `cop bobbin therein 135 having a tangential notch, the longerside 'of which is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, the loomhaving abreast beam,`a sleeve Xed tothe beam, a slide Within the sleeve,spring meansurging the slide in the direction of the sito sley, aspring-urged feeler elementl carriedby the slide, the free end of thefeeler element being'in tangential contact with the Wefton the bobbinand mcvableinto the tangential notch upon exhaustion of the weft,whereby the slide will pari3 take of Vforward movement of the sley, copchange Vmechanism including a weft fork-hammer, a shaft actuatedthereby, a pair 4ofrlhingedly connected levers, one of said levers beingpositioned in prox-V imity to the shaft,ftheot`her of said levers being90 disposed beneath the slide, a'cam on the slide normallyl contactingthe last named lever, and spring means connected`between thelever'surging the last named lever into bearing Vcontact 3. A mechanicalweftY feeler mechanism `for looms comprising a sley, arvshuttle, a copbobbin therein having Yan angular tangentialcavity, a

ffeeler element comprising a pivoted leverprojected through the shuttleintheV direction of theo warp, the feeler element contacting the wefttangentially above the longitudinal '-axis' of the shuttle and being of'a character to be deflected so long as the weft supply remains and uponexhaustion ofthe weft supply, said lever being of a" character capableof automatic deflection and movable to a substantially 'horizontalposition to engage the cavity of the cop'bobbin, whereby theife'elerwill partakeof forwardv movement of the sley to actuatecooperating mechanism" for efect-V 60 ing the cop.change.

ZDENK soCHoR.

